It is a very important anniversary on the calendar as today is the anniversary of Ellen Fairclough’s first election to the House of Commons after her victory in a Hamilton, Ontario by-election in 1950. This made her only the sixth woman elected to the House in Canadian history to that point.While all Canadians should celebrate the Rt. Hon. Ellen Fairclough's life and legacy (she was granted the honorific "Right Honourable" by then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney later in her life) Canadian Tories have particular reason to mark Ms. Fairclough's legacy. Under Mr. Diefenbaker, Ellen Fairclough went on to become Canada's first-ever woman cabinet minister. She later became the first woman to serve as Acting Prime Minister, when she replaced John Diefenbaker on February 19-20, 1958.Canada Post honoured Ellen Fairclough's place in history with a stamp in 2005. It is tough enough even today for women in politics, let alone 70 years ago, so this pioneering politician deserves great recognition.I know folks of all parties will toast the life and legacy of Ms. Fairclough with “Art’s History” today.[caption id="attachment_558222" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Ellen Fairclough and John Diefenbaker[/caption][caption id="attachment_558210" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Ellen Fairclough[/caption]Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.